The Golden State Warriors have named Don Nelson as the team's new head coach, it was announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin.  Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.  Nelson replaces former Warriors? coach Mike Montgomery and becomes the 23rd head coach in franchise history.

?We are really excited to welcome Don back to the Warriors? family,? said Mullin.  ?He has proven to be one of the best and most successful coaches in NBA history and is very-well respected throughout the league for his unique creativity, strategical exploits and leadership.  We often talk about having the right fit for a team and I think this man is someone who can certainly help our young and talented roster achieve its maximum performance.?  

?It?s a pleasure to welcome Don back to our organization,? said Warriors? owner Chris Cohan. ?He was a big part of this organization?s success during the late 80?s and early ?90s and we?re excited about his return. We are looking forward to working together again and I?m confident that he can help us achieve the results that our fans deserve.?

Chris Mullin discussed the hiring of Don Nelson and the buyout of Mike Montgomery with Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.

"(Hiring Nelson had) been popping in and out my mind for a few months, I guess. Nellie's always somebody I think about. I mean, everybody knows what he brings.

"I guess the last few weeks is when it really came together. And I had a good talk with Mike on Monday -- really about everything. We came together on a lot of things. I think we agreed on a lot of things.

"No offense to anybody, but if you can upgrade at any position, you do it -- and this is an upgrade at coach. We've gotten better at the coach position, flat out. We're better today than we were."

With Don Nelson set to be introduced as the new head coach of the Golden State Warriors, he will surely look to recruit some of his closest friends and allies, many of those people remain involved in the Mavericks' organization.

Larry Riley, an assistant on Avery Johnson's staff, would be an obvious target, although Riley is content with his situation with the Mavs.

Donnie Nelson, his son and president of basketball operations for the Mavericks and Del Harris will not be joining him in Golden State.

RealGM Radio's Aaron Bronsteter speaks with Dave Del Grande of the Oakland Tribune to get the inside scoop on the Golden State Warriors' hiring of former Mavericks coach Don Nelson, who also coached the Warriors from 1989 until 1996.

Del Grande talks about the potential for a Run TMC style system featuring Baron Davis, Jason Richardson and Mike Dunleavy and how he expects Nelson will bring out the best in both Davis and Dunleavy.

The interview is available by clicking here

The Golden State Warriors announced this afternoon that they will be holding a major press conference on Wednesday evening at 7:30 Pacific.

They are expected to announce the hiring of Don Nelson as their new head coach.

According to Marc Stein, Don Nelson will be named as the new coach of the Golden State Warriors this week.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that things are "all lined up" for Nelson, 66, to return to the Warriors, who haven't been to the playoffs since 1994 when Nelson was still their coach.

In related news, the Warriors and Head Coach Mike Montgomery have mutually agreed to part ways, it was announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin in a press release.

?This is a very difficult day for me,? said Mullin. ?Mike is a terrific basketball coach who has enjoyed a great deal of success throughout his career.  His accomplishments in this game are well-documented and, in addition to his resume, you would be challenged to find a better person with more character. He has an impeccable reputation both on and off the court and I have the utmost respect for him.   Based on this agreement, we will now focus our efforts in a different direction and do what we think is in the best interest for this team.  We thank Mike for his contributions and certainly wish him well.?

Golden State Warriors? guard Jason Richardson underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this morning, it was announced by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin. The surgery, which cleaned out debris caused by normal wear and tear, was performed by Dr. Stephen Lombardo at the HealthSouth Surgical Center in Los Angeles.

?We are pleased that the surgery was a success,? said Mullin. ?We certainly do not expect this to derail Jason from being ready when the season starts and look forward to him continuing to develop into an All-Star caliber player during the 2006-07 season.?

Jason Richardson, the Warriors' leading scorer for the past three seasons, is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today in Los Angeles, team officials confirmed Monday, but they anticipate it to be a minor procedure with a short recovery time.

Even though the surgery was not originally scheduled at the end of the season, the work is meant only to clean out debris from typical wear and tear from five seasons in the NBA.

One team source said that Richardson, who has averaged 77 games per season since entering the league in 2001, is expected to be back on the court weeks before the Warriors open training camp Oct. 3.

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Jason Richardson is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left knee Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to a source familiar with the situation. The surgery will be a clean-up procedure and  is not considered to be a major one. Richardson is expected to be back in time for training camp in October.

The Warriors' leading scorer has been bothered by knee problems since last preseason, when he skipped the team's final two practices before their regular-season opener. An MRI exam taken on the left knee at the time revealed no structural damage, and Richardson vowed to play through the pain.

Al Harrington, who recently switched agents from Andy Miller to Arn Tellem, is readily available after a sign-and-trade deal between Atlanta and Indiana reportedly was nixed by Pacers ownership.

According to two league sources, the Golden State Warriors have revived discussions with three other teams on a multiple-player swap. The principal parts involve Mike Dunleavy Jr. going to the Clippers, Corey Maggette to Denver and Joe Smith to Atlanta, with the Warriors getting Harrington.

Tellem represents both Harrington and Dunleavy and a similar multi-team deal was discussed in Las Vegas during the summer league, according to one of the sources.

However, the status of Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., a main proponent of the team's interest in Dunleavy Jr., is what could be the deal-breaker. The coach is entering the final year of his contract and would like an extension after guiding his team to the Western Conference semifinals.